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[updated] nothing less/more than, more often than not...

anything but, nothing less/more than, more often than not etc.
I would like to know ""why"" the following phrases have such meanings:
[I know it is difficult to explain though. It would be very grateful if you can try to explain]

- anything but (= definitely not)
-"everything but" (= definitely not)
Does "anything" mean "everything" here? But anything is used with not, like "I don't have anything". So it seems to mean nothing.
I know "But" here is served to mean an exception.

- no/nothing less than (=competely, exactly, surely)
- no/nothing more than (=only, just)
The above means "the same or more than something/that" and "not more than something/that" respectively and literally.
But I can't figure out why "the same or more than something/that" means the same as "completely/exactly/surely".
Why "not more than something/that" = "only/just"?

- more often than not (=meaning??)
I'm confused if the phrase the frequency of "more often than not" is any of the following:
- between "usually" and "often"
- over "usually"
- more or less the same as "usually"

Re: anything but, nothing less/more than etc.

Originally Posted by Wai_Wai

anything but, nothing less/more than etc.
I would like to know why the following phrases have such meanings:
[Maybe it is difficult to explain though It would be very grateful if you can try to explain]

- anything but (= definitely not)
Does "anything" mean "everything" here? But anything is used with not, like "I don't have anything". So it seems to mean nothing.
I know "But" here is served to mean an exception.

- no/nothing less than (=competely, exactly, surely)
- no/nothing more than (=only, just)

- more often than not (=very usually)

Thanks a lot for your help.

anything but, with the exception of

Waiter: Are you ready to order?
Sam: No. Not yet. Could you give us a minute to decide?
Waiter: OK. By the way, I should let you know that you can have anything on the menu but, with the exception of, the pizza. That's not served until lunch time.

no/nothing less than (exactly the mark or more than the mark)
no/nothing more than (not over the mark)

more often than not (between never and usually; more than never, but not usually).

Re: anything but, nothing less/more than etc.

Originally Posted by Casiopea

anything but, with the exception of

Waiter: Are you ready to order?
Sam: No. Not yet. Could you give us a minute to decide?
Waiter: OK. By the way, I should let you know that you can have anything on the menu but, with the exception of, the pizza. That's not served until lunch time.

Understood! :D

no/nothing less than (exactly the mark or more than the mark)
no/nothing more than (not over the mark)

Still couldn't get the idea.
I still can't figure out why "the same or more than something/that" means the same as "completely/exactly/surely".

Why "not more than something/that" = "only/just"?

more often than not (between never and usually; more than never, but not usually).

So the word "not" here can be perceived as "never". So "having-something" is more often than "not-having-something". So at least the case of "having-something" is more than 50%.

According to Oxford Advanced Dictionary (4th edition), it means "very frequently". Now I'm confused if the phrase "more often than not" is any of the following:
- between "usually" and "often"
- over "usually"
- more or less the same as "usually"

Frankly speaking, I will feel sad if I clipped the tagline.
But if this inconvenience you (or any other), I don't mind t clip my tagline (even to none!)

Why not try something shorter? What about this? :D
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Comments are welcome. I am not a native English speaker, so if you see any mistakes please correct them, but please note, if you use choose to use acronyms in your reply, please spell them out. Acronyms can be an inconvenience for language learners, e.g., MB can mean motherboard, megabyte, Bachelor of Medicine, megabyte.